The Politics Thread

[GregNYC]

I agree on economics, Democrats and Republicans are similar. Clinton passed NAFTA, Obama wants TPP, both of which are good for corporations and bad for workers. Clinton also signed the Gramm Bliley Act, the biggest Wall Street deregulation bill since the Great Depression. Also, if you look at the wealthiest politicians in DC, they are mostly Democrats. John Kerry was the wealthiest politician with 3.2 billion, about equal to Donald Trump.

Edited February 14, 2016 by GregNYC

[Juliajms]

This Republican debate is truly surreal. I'm watching two Latinos argue about who hates immigrants more. "I do!" "No, I do". I'm not particularly liberal on immigration, but this is ugly. This was truly a race to the bottom exchange by pretty much everyone except Jeb.

[DRW50]

I'm already seeing the spin about how great it was for Marco and terrible for Trump, so the scripts have been delivered in advance. I have to admit it makes me laugh to see a GOP frontrunner talk at length about how W helped cause 9/11. I never thought I'd see the day. 

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

It was by far the ugliest debate but I don't know how you can characterize the immigration debate that way...

 

What I heard was Ted Cruz wants to deport 11.5 million illegal immigrants who broke the law. Fine okay that's his view.

 

Marco Rubio wants to secure the border completely, then deport those who are criminals, etc and then create a path to legalization for those remains but NOT citizenship. To me this seams the more reasonable and doable approach. Not to mention it's a fair compromise. They shouldn't be allowed to vote after breaking the law IMO. 

 

Fascinating how Trump and Rubio are trying so hard to paid Cruz as a liar and snake/opportunist. I'm curious if it will eventually stick. 

[DRW50]

Rubio has had too many positions on immigrant to ever be trustworthy.

[Juliajms]

They lost me when Cruz accused Rubio of going on Univision and saying in Spanish (!!) that he wouldn't fight President Obama's immigration bill. It was completely ridiculous. They were calling each other out on any compromise they ever made on the subject and it was completely disingenuous.

[quartermainefan]

This was the best debate ever!  It was like if the WWE sponsored a debate this is what it would look like.   The whole thing seemed like an organized effort to bring Trump down, fair enough for the candidates but it seemed like the moderator was setting it all up.  Trump is right that the audience are supporters of the other candidates so their boos don't count.   Most interesting was how they all cling to to their fantasy that everything about 9/11 was Clinton's fault, and everything in Iraq is Obama's fault.  Trump was the only one speaking the truth about what actually happened and who was president, and Jeb wants to bring the very same people back for a sequel.    The republicans want endless war and Trump, the guy with the bad temperament, is the only one who sees how nuts that is.  Unfortunately republicans can't allow themselves to see that because it would call their entire world view into question.

 

My favorite line was when Trump said Barbara Bush is the one who should be running.

Edited February 14, 2016 by quartermainefan

[DramatistDreamer]

President Obama once nicknamed the GOP debates as The Hunger Games Debates.  Is it any wonder?

 

I think the Democrats are going to push the needle on the nomination progress.  

 

Already Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton have each spoken out on the need for the current President (not the next) to choose a nominee and for the Senate to do due diligence and see the nomination process through without delay.  Both have said that if the Senate fail to do so, they fail to observe their Constitutional mandate.  Warren said that this would fly in the face of all that the GOP have been claiming they were about- adherence to the Constitution.

 

And the argument that a nomination shouldn't occur in an election year is pure bunk.  Reagan nominated one of his 3 Supreme Court justices during an election year (1988).

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

I mean if the Republicans want to pursue this route then more power to them....its absolutely hilarious given the Senate races. This will make it all too easy (esp with Hillary at the top) for the Dems to take back the Senate. And then we can get a good Supreme Court justice...although I do wonder if the Republicans have the gall to go over a year without one

Edited February 15, 2016 by ThePrinceOfSunspear

[DRW50]

Oh they do. And the average voter, along with the media, will back them up, most likely.

 

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

There's not much the average voter can do about. Even if you were you get all the independents and democrats to rage at the republicans blocking it I doubt they'd move. The republican base/voters support this tactic so like you said they will go ahead with it.

 

We just have to pray that the Senate flips again this fall...

[DramatistDreamer]

John Oliver succinctly explained the ridiculousness of the party that claims to be all about adhering to the Constitution vowing to upend it especially as it concerns replacing the originalist Scalia.

 

 

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[Soapsuds]

The Saturday debate got great ratings on CBS…..and can someone answer me a question….??

 

Why is Ben Carson still making a fool of himself? Can he give it up already? 2% votes is all he got in the NH primary. 

Edited February 15, 2016 by Soapsuds

[Juliajms]

Maybe BC is hoping to be VP or maybe it's just his ego. 

[Soapsuds]

I'd go with his ego. I doubt anyone would pick him as his VP. Btw…I just roll my eyes every time he mentions on the debates to read his website about his ideas….yadda…yadda plans as president.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Soapsuds